ACLD Earns National Accreditation from CQL

In a move that speaks volumes to ACLD’s commitment to a person-centered approach to ensuring people with autism, learning and other developmental disabilities
can pursue enviable lives, the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) has awarded ACLD with a three-year National Accreditation.

CQL is dedicated to raising the bar for organizations like ACLD in defining, measuring and improving the quality of life for all people. To earn accreditation, ACLD needed to meet CQL’s strict criteria and demonstrate its ongoing commitment to person-centered excellence.

The announcement that ACLD had earned the three-year national accreditation followed a three-day visit to ACLD by CQL Representatives Jeff Shoemaker, Ann Eller and Christine Norris in October, a visit that confirmed members of the ACLD family were putting CQL theory into practice.

“It’s critical to us and those who turn to us for support that we ensure ACLD has a firm foundation of organizational systems and practices that support health, safety and human security, shared values and a quality of life for each person that is personally defined,” said Robert C. Goldsmith, Executive Director of ACLD. “This certification is recognition that we are successfully upholding those ideals.”

ACLD spent much of the past year working on updating the ways it speaks with and provides support to those who turn to the agency. The work included a series of training sessions in which people with special needs joined with ACLD staff members to learn and implement CQL’s expectations regarding the basic assurances every person who turns to ACLD has the right to, including dignity and respect, a series of natural support networks and the security of staff resources and support.

“Our team is proud of what they have achieved by earning this certification,” said Roseanne Tast, Administrator of Quality Enhancement for ACLD, “but this is really more of a journey than it is a destination. We expect self-advocates and employees to continue taking the opportunity to share their opinions, exchange feedback, evaluate and critique what we’re doing, help solve challenges and ultimately contribute to the way ACLD moves along the path of continuous quality improvement.”